Collectors Are Chasing Nostalgic Railroad Memorabilia

    GREENVILLE, SC, February 27, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Collecting antique railroad memorabilia is a popular way to remember the nostalgic days when rail travel was the standard way to get from point A to point B. If it is old and associated with a particular railroad, then odds are there is a collector out there who is looking to buy it. There are many types of railroad collectibles that sell for less $20. However, advanced collectors are looking for some of the rarer items that you can't buy at will. These include railroad china, silver, passes, plates, sealers, lanterns, signs and posters.

Railroad china and silver are both popular because they were used in the dining cars. Of course most items like that are relatively common because thousands were made and many still exist. However, some rare pieces can be worth several hundred dollars of even more. The most valuable railroad collectibles are antique plates that were actually physically attached to the old locomotives. Railroad builders plates (as they are called by collectors) have an average value of $500 each. Some rare plates can be worth thousands of dollars.

Collectors are also looking for lighter things that are easy to display. Passes, posters, and signs are very easy to display in a man cave or train room. Antique railroad passes are old annual passes that allowed the holder to ride that railroad for free. These often exist from otherwise very obscure lines that only existed for a short period of time. Good passes can be worth a couple hundred dollars; most are worth less than $25. Posters and porcelain signs are equally popular but they can be much more valuable. Most signs are not especially rare, they are valued based on their condition. Posters can be extremely rare because they were usually only used for a short period of time.

There are dozens of other small areas of the hobby that collectors focus on. Prices are determined based on the railroad, condition, age, and popularity.

Got Questions?
Start by asking the expert. Dale Fenton handles some of the rarest and most popular types of railroad memorabilia. He can be reached at [email protected]

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